1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to waste management systems and, more specifically, to grease collecting systems for commercial cooking fan exhaust vents. Devices in this particular field prevent damage to the surrounding roof due to the solvent or corrosive action of oily or greasy residue in the vented effluence from commercial cooking facilities. Several devices include a filter element or layers of filter elements that are positioned about the duct of the grease discharge vent.
The filtering elements are typically of one piece, which necessitates the changing of the entire filter when only one small area of it is completely saturated and subject to leakage. This increases the frequency and cost of maintenance. The one-piece filter construction also means that, in case of fire, there will be little possibility of its containment to a small area of the filter. It will most likely involve the entire filter, then possibly the surrounding roof or the venting apparatus, which is typically covered with grease.
The present invention, the Grease Stopper, is a grease filtering and containment system for rooftop protection in commercial cooking applications. It offers a means of grease containment in a configuration that overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art. The present invention provides a suspended compartmentalized system for the containment of grease vented from commercial cooking operations that is quick and easy to install and maintain.
A typical installation involves removal of the fan from the roof duct, which typically includes a rectangular projection on the roof that is used for mounting the exhaust fan. Next, the hanger assembly is installed to the duct with the screws provided. Once the hanger assembly is installed, the filter housing is assembled. The completed filter housing is an octagonal shaped assembly which is suspended about the duct and which consists of identical pentagonal quarter sections or compartments, each with its own filter media, which may be changed independently. These pentagonal frames are constructed of extruded aluminum and fastened around the perimeter with galvanized corner brackets and rivets. The pentagon quarters are fastened to each other by means of one or more fasteners and each seam is covered by a galvanized joiner bracket affixed thereto by fasteners.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other devices designed for processing and collecting exhaust effluence of various types. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,236 issued to John W. Blough Sep. 26, 1989.
Another patent was issued to Dimitri P. Zafiroglu on May 8, 1990 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,725. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 5,196,040 was issued to Patrick A. Malloy et al. on Mar. 23, 1993 and still yet another was issued on Jun. 7, 1994 to Patrick A. Malloy et al. as U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,607.
Another patent was issued to Daryl Mirza et al. on Apr. 30, 1996 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,512,073. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 5,540,744 was issued to Edward M. Renna on Jul. 30, 1996.
Another was issued to Daryl Mirza et al. on Oct. 22, 1996 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,216 and still yet another was issued on Sep. 29, 1998 to Daryl Allen et al. as U.S. Pat. No. 5,814,115. Another patent was issued on Jan. 4, 2000 to Phillip Ackland as U.S. Pat. No. 6,010,558.
This invention is an apparatus which collects and stores grease discharged from exhaust fan systems of commercial kitchens. There is a means for collecting the grease which is adjustable so that it can be attached to fit most any size commercial exhaust fan. Once the grease is collected, it flows into a means for storing the grease. The means for storing the grease is releasably supported by means for collecting the grease. Thus, the means for storing the grease can be released, the stored grease removed, and then re-attached to the means for collecting the grease. The invention also includes a means for discharging rain water that is collected by the means for collecting grease. Any water which is collected is discharged into the drainage pipe located on the restaurant roof.
A disposable article, suitable for absorbing and immobilizing grease generated during cooking, has a housing containing an absorbent bed of particles and polyolefin microfibers.
A grease filter and collection assembly for roof ventilators and the like includes a frame structure having a generally central aperture through which a grease discharge vent projects when the frame structure and trap assembly are installed surrounding the vent, and a replaceable grease-trapping material is removably secured in the frame structure so that the grease-trapping material is exposed within the aperture for trapping grease discharged from the vent. In a preferred embodiment, the frame structure is assembled from extruded frame members, which integrally include a plurality of channels for securing and mounting the assembly for retaining the grease-trapping material within the frame structure. Upper and lower channels accommodate corner connections of the frame members. The frame members have side walls, which peripherally enclose the grease-trapping material that is tucked between the upper and lower channel inwardly extending from the side wall. A preferred grease-trapping material includes a layered composite of grease filtering and trapping materials in which an upper-porous layer for trapping particulate debris is also permeable for passage of liquid grease therethrough into a lower layer which absorbs and retains the grease.
A grease filter and collection assembly for roof ventilators and the like includes a frame structure having a generally central aperture through which a grease discharge vents projects when the frame structure and trap assembly are installed surrounding the vent, and a replaceable grease-trapping material is removably secured in the frame structure so that the grease-trapping material is exposed vent. In a preferred embodiment, the frame structure is assembled from extruded frame members that integrally include a plurality of channels for securing and mounting the assembly for retaining the grease-trapping material within the frame structure. Upper and lower channels accommodate corner connections of the frame members. The frame members have side walls that peripherally enclose the grease-trapping material, which is tucked between the upper and lower channel inwardly extending from the side wall. An additional channel is exteriorly exposed in each of the frame members to enable access to the fasteners and hardware for mounting the collection assembly on a roof or wall through which the vent projects. A preferred grease-trapping material includes a layered composite of grease filtering and trapping materials in which an upper-porous layer for trapping particulate debris is also permeable for passage of liquid grease therethrough into a lower layer which absorbs and retains the grease.
A grease filter assembly is provided for absorbing airborne grease discharged from a grease discharge vent extending from a roof A support frame is mountable to the duct of the grease discharge vent and grease absorbing pads are supportable upon the support frame in stationary position surrounding the discharge vent and in spaced relation from the roof. The support frame includes support rods mounted adjacent respective sides of the discharge vent duct and extending beyond their respective duct sides to overlap at the corners of the duct and thereby provide a supporting grid including the end portions of each of two rods extending from adjacent walls of the duct. A plurality of grease absorbing pads are supported on the supporting grid disposed adjacent respective sides of the duct. The pads being of sufficient length to extend beyond the duct sides on both ends so that pads disposed at adjacent sides of the duct overlap one another at the corners of the duct. U-shaped retaining clips are slid onto the ends of each of the rods and have a lower aperture through which the retaining clips are slid onto the ends of the rods, with the edges of the overlapping pads being received in the channel of the retaining clips. Tension cords extend between pairs of oppositely disposed retaining clips to retain the pads in engagement with the support frame and to bias the pads into abutment with respective sides of the duct.
An apparatus for collecting grease from a kitchen ventilator, which is mounted on the roof of a structure housing a restaurant. The apparatus fits around the exhaust fan of a kitchen ventilator and includes at least one layer of filtering medium which fits snugly about the exhaust fan, a rectangular frame for securing the layer of filtering medium about the exhaust fan, and a plurality of retaining bars for securing the layer of filter medium in the rectangular frame. The rectangular frame is comprised of four frame sections joined at each end with 90xe2x96xa1 elbows. Each frame section comprises three tubes with supports fitted between the tubes. The 90xe2x96xa1 elbows fit over and join the tubes of one frame section with the tubes of another frame section. The retaining bars are positioned between two tubes of opposing frame sections, above the layer of filtering medium. The apparatus includes four retaining bars: a pair of which snugly abut the exhaust fan to prevent any movement of the apparatus relative to the exhaust fan during use; and, each of the remainder of which are positioned between one of the pair and one of the non-opposing frame sections to secure the ends of the layer of filtering medium in the frame. Should parts of a frame section be cut out to accommodate an obstruction, reinforcement supports can be fitted between the tubes of the cut-out frame section and adjacent to the obstruction to reinforce the cut-out frame section. The frame of the apparatus can be expanded in two ways to cover and protect a greater area of the roof from grease expelled from the exhaust fan.
A grease filter assembly is provided for absorbing grease discharged from a spout of a grease discharge vent extending from a roof. A support frame is mountable to the duct of the grease discharge vent and a grease absorbing pad is supportable upon the support frame in stationary position below the spout and in spaced relation from the roof. The support frame includes support rods mounted adjacent respective sides of the discharge vent duct and can extend beyond their respective duct sides to overlap at two corners of the duct to provide a supporting grid including the end portions of each of two rods extending from two corners of the duct. A grease absorbing pad is supported on the supporting grid disposed adjacent a side of the duct. The pad can be of sufficient length to extend beyond the duct side on both ends. U-shaped retaining clips are slid onto the ends of each of the rods extending normal to the side adjacent the pad and have a lower rod receiving portion through which the retaining clips are slid onto the ends of the rods, with the edge of the pad being received in the channel of the retaining clips. A tension cord extends between each retaining clip and a rod adjacent the side opposite to the side adjacent the pad or to brackets on the corners of the opposite side to retain the pad in engagement with the support frame and to bias the pad into abutment with a side of the duct.
A grease filter system for use in connection with retaining viscous products of combustion in commercial food preparation environments includes a receptacle and a filter element removably supported within the receptacle. The receptacle has a lid covering one end thereof and a bottom. The lid includes an opening through which grease, condensed steam, water and other products of combustion enter the system. The receptacle further includes a plurality of apertures disposed spaced from the bottom about the perimeter of the receptacle such that the filter system retains grease and other viscous fluids while allowing condensed steam, water and other products of combustion to pass through the filter element and the receptacle out through the apertures.
A rooftop grease containment system for absorbing the high viscosity grease carried by the gaseous effluent generated by cooking food and released through a rooftop exhaust vent, comprising 4-8 mm hydrophobic silica particles contained within porous pads, tubes and pillows placed in different positions in proximity to the rooftop exhaust vent is disclosed.
While these exhaust effluence collectors may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide an exhaust effluent collector device that overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art devices.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an exhaust effluent collector device that is modular in construction.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an exhaust effluent collector device which can be partially disassembled to provide access to the air vent and fan assembly.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide an exhaust effluent collector device having individual filter compartments.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an exhaust effluent collector device having individual filter compartments having easily and selectively replaceable filter elements contained therein.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an exhaust effluent collector device having compartmentalized filter support elements and filter elements contained therein wherein the framing members act as a firewall between segmented sections.
Additional objects of the present invention will appear as the description proceeds.
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a grease filtering and containment system for rooftop protection in commercial cooking applications. It offers a means of grease containment in a configuration that overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art. The present invention provides a suspended compartmentalized system for the containment of grease vented from commercial cooking operations that is quick and easy to install and maintain.
A plurality of hanger assemblies is attached to the duct by fasteners. Three filter compartments are fixedly attached to one another by means of fasteners forming a U-shaped structure that is slidably attached to the hanger assemblies. A fourth final filter compartment is then attached to the others by fasteners, thereby forming a substantially octagonal shaped assembly that is suspended about the duct.
The completed assembly has four interchangeable, pentagonal shaped filter compartments, each with its own filter media, which may be changed independently. These pentagonal frames are constructed of extruded aluminum and fastened around the perimeter with galvanized corner brackets and rivets. The pentagon quarters are fastened to each other by means of one or more fasteners and each seam is covered by a galvanized joiner bracket affixed thereto by fasteners.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In the accompanying drawings, like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views.
The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims.